Several programs created to combat public school absenteeism

LAS CRUCES — Several organizations have been established to abate public school chronic absenteeism, which can spur a drop in enrollment numbers and hinder state funding for public schools.

"When a family is primarily struggling with survival needs, educational needs can get overlooked," said Enrique Knell, spokesman for the state Children, Youth, and Families Department.

Knell said one recent chronic absenteeism case handled by CYFD involved a high school student and his family who had been evicted from their apartment, temporarily moving in with an extended family member.

"When the mother and child arrived (at CYFD), we talked about what would be needed to get the youth back in school," Knell said. "Reluctantly, the youth looked across the table and said, "Mister, I had to borrow the clothes I have on from my cousin and we don't have money for school supplies.'"

Knell said the student — who was helping support his family by doing odd jobs like yard work during the day — made a commitment to attend school if CYFD could provide school supplies and a means to get clothing.

The CYFD and the student's school collaborated to allow the student to attend some evening and web-based classes so that he could continue to help support his family. The school also set the family up with a school social worker who helped obtain clothing for the teen.

"We gathered the supplies and went over the education plan the next morning (after the meeting)," Knell said.

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"Presently the (student) is continuing to work on his education."

Knell said the CYFD handles cases differently, based on the age of the child involved. According to Las Cruces Public Schools, first- and second-graders accumulate the most absences of any other grade.

With younger children, Knell said most serious cases are referred to the District Attorney's office for prosecution, with the help of the Truancy Parent Accountability Court (TPAC).

Third Judicial District Attorney Amy L. Orlando, in collaboration with the Juvenile Probation Parole Office, CYFD and school districts in Doña Ana County, launched TPAC as a court-based approach to chronic absenteeism involving charges against both parents when they fail to comply with the state's Compulsory School Attendance Law, which requires parents to send their kids to school, in most cases, until age 18.

"If we had stricter standards and held parents accountable, the issue may be curtailed. We are too quick to excuse and justifiy bad behavior of the children," said John Salata in a response to a Sun-News Facebook post. "It's time for parents to act like parents and not friends."

With high school freshman also being one of the grades with the highest number of absences, local high school efforts to combat empty classrooms include:

— The POWER Program at Las Cruces High School: a credit-recovery program that addresses the needs of students at risk of dropping out of high school.

— The Graduation, Reality, And Dual-Role Skills program (GRADS): a statewide system for students who are pregnant or parenting, and want to complete high school.

— San Andres High School: online and night school classes for credit toward a high school degree.

While the consensus for some is that parents play the major role in their child attending school, Sun-News reader Eric Held suggested harsher consequences for chronically absent students.

"Expell them. If they are disenrolled they cannot be truant. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink," he said. "If they don't want to be there and their parents aren't involved, then don't try to make them attend. The world needs ditch diggers, too."

Matlin Smith can be reached at (575) 541-5468; follow her on Twitter @msmith_lcsun.